HONOR is expanding its offerings once again. The company has been coming out with all the punches this year. This time, after flexing its flagship prowess with the HONOR 50 and the HONOR Magic V, HONOR is looking to the more affordable offerings they were once renown for. They are introducing three new entries into their X series with a little bit of a rename.
HONOR X9 & X9 5G Leads the new X Trio
The new HONOR X series is spearheaded by the Snapdragon 695 touting HONOR X9 5G. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. When it comes to the display it comes with a 6.81-inch FullView Display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an FHD+ resolution. The X9 5G comes with a triple camera setup with a 48-megapixel main sensor complemented by a 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel depth sensor. Upfront, there is a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies.
In the case of the HONOR X9, it’s important to mention the 5G moniker as the HONOR X9 also comes without 5G connectivity. The regular X9 comes with the Snapdragon 680 instead. That said, it comes with a more robust quad camera setup. The main sensor is a 64-megapixel main sensor complemented by an 8-megapixel wide sensor, 2-megapixel sensing macro sensor and 2-megapixel sensing depth sensor. The display on the X9 also has a lower refresh rate of 90Hz. Other than these, the HONOR X9 and X9 5G share the same design and specs including a 4,800mAh battery with 66W fast charging with HONOR SuperCharge and USB Type C.
The design of the HONOR X9 series hearkens back to the HUAWEI P40 with the circular accent emblazoned at the back. It also contains the multiple camera sensors and flash that the smartphone comes with. The face of the phone is covered with the HONOR FullView Display with a punch hole for the selfie camera.
HONOR X8 – Putting the Middle in Mid-range
The HONOR X series will also contain the HONOR X8 which touts the same Snapdragon 680 that powers the X9. In all ways, it’s the hybrid of the X9 and X9 5G. It comes with a slightly smaller 6.7-inch FullView display with a 90Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution. Aside from this, it also comes with a smaller 4,000mAh battery with support for 22.5W HONOR SuperCharge via USB-C connection.
All of these specs aside, the HONOR X8 comes with the nearly same camera setup as the HONOR X9. However, it comes with a smaller 5-megapixel wide sensor. That said, it also has a different design language which is more angular than the fluid X9. It also departs from the circular accent in favour of a square module containing all its sensors.
HONOR X7 – Bringing even more affordability
Rounding up the HONOR X series is the HONOR X7. The HONOR X7 comes with the same Snapdragon 680 as its siblings with the same amount of internal storage but a lower 4GB of RAM. It comes with a larger 6.74-inch HONOR FullView Display with an HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. On the camera front, it comes with the same setup as the X8 albeit having a smaller 8-megapixel selfie camera. It comes with a larger 5,000mAh battery with support for 22.5W HONOR SuperCharge via USB-C.
The HONOR X7 comes with the familiar design we’ve seen in the HONOR 50 before. However, it comes with a waterdrop display design where the selfie camera is. It’s also not curved like the HONOR 50.
Pricing and Availability
HONOR’s X series will be available starting on 7th April 2022. All members of the HONOR X Series will be launching with EMUI 4 powered by Android 11.
The HONOR X9, X9 5G and X8 will be available in Titanium Silver, Ocean Blue and Midnight Black. It will be available for MYR1,299, MYR1,099 and MYR899 respectively.
The HONOR X7 will be available for MYR699 in Titanium Silver and Ocean Blue.
Realme has made a name for itself by offering affordable smartphones. However, the company has been uncompromising when it comes to features and value in its offerings with smartphones like the recently released Realme 9 series. That said, Realme is breaking from its MO and exploring a true flagship in their Realme GT 2 Pro. Teased earlier this year at MWC, the smartphone is Realme’s first foray into the flagship market and it’s finally making its Malaysian debut.
Source: Realme
The Realme GT 2 Pro sports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor which promises top of the line performance. The new 4nm process also brings with it better power efficiency. The phone pairs this with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. However, unlike Realme phones of the past, the GT 2 Pro does away with microSD card support.
It comes with a 6.7-inch, AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and support for HDR10+. The display maxes out at 1,400 nits peak brightness. The 2K resolution (1440×3216 pixels) of the panel gives it a 509ppi density. It also comes with Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6 support as well as 5G connectivity.
On the back, the Realme GT 2 Pro is coming with a triple camera setup with a dual 50-megapixel primary sensor with a large 150° field of view. Complementing this dual sensor setup is a 3-megapixel microscope sensor with 40x magnification. On the front is a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The main camera setup supports 8K video shooting. The main sensor comes with phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilization.
Source: Realme
Realme is touting all-day battery life on the GT 2 Pro thanks to its large 5,000mAh battery which supports 65W fast charging. It also comes with an under-display fingerprint sensor.
Pricing & Availability
The GT 2 Pro will be available in Malaysia starting on 25th March 2022 for MYR2,999. It will be available only in the 12GB RAM version with 256GB storage in either black or white.
However, if you’re looking for a great deal, the phone will be offered at MYR2,599 during flash sales on the Realme Malaysia Official store on Shopee from 25th to 26th March 2022 and from 30th to 31st March 2022. Units bought during these periods will come with a free set of Realme Buds 2 NEO.
The first sale at Realme authorized stores will be happening from 26th March 2022 until 27th March 2022. During this period, the GT 2 Pro will be sold at full retail price. However, purchases will be entitled to a free Realme Watch 2 Pro and an extended warranty.
The idea of Microsoft’s Windows running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform is not a new concept. In fact, it has been something that Qualcomm and Microsoft have been working on for years. Some products even rolled out of the factories that marries the power of Qualcomm’s potent system on a chip (SoC) with Microsoft’s best-selling interface. One of the products is Malaysian made, we reviewed it and quite liked it.
Unfortunately, the idea of running a full-fledged Windows operating system (OS) on a Qualcomm chip is not as simple as shoehorning a Qualcomm chip on any random Windows laptop chassis, nor is it as simple as installing Windows on a Qualcomm device. The problem is with the conflict in architecture in both the software and chip. Qualcomm’s mobile first approach ensures that it adapts to Android’s Linux based architecture and optimises its operations based on a regular smartphone interaction pattern. Windows, on the other hand, is optimises itself on different work processes and priorities that Intel and AMD’s chips are designed for. They are just different kind of processes and priorities, fundamentally.
There is a new workaround though. Welcome to Windows 11, an open door to whole new possibilities. The platform is designed to be more mobile than ever. It is designed with a touch experience in mind, a sort of tablet experience. While it is still based on Windows 10, it is a lot more tablet friendly than before. It just feels like something you can put on a slim tablet with no cooling fans powered by an SoC. With Apple’s move to push their M1 SoCs, it also only makes sense that Microsoft makes that option available.
Source: Lenovo
Enter the ThinkPad X13s, the first of many, we hope. This is not Lenovo’s first Qualcomm based device. It is also not Lenovo’s first Windows 11 device. It is their first though, that marries the two together.
You will not find any intake or exhaust ports on the 13.3-inch ThinkPad X13s. It is a little odd for a PC not to have ventilation ports. That is also the beauty of relying on Qualcomm’s latest generation Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform. The SoC is even powerful enough and optimised enough to run Windows 11 Pro. Keeping Windows 11 running on the WUXGA 16:10 aspect ratio display is up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage.
Thanks to the integrated modem on the SoC, the ThinkPad X13s is even ready with a 5G capable SIM tray. Together with WiFi 6E, the ThinkPad X13s can be connected to the web anywhere, anytime. It is always connected, always on.
Of course, the other benefit of using SoCs in devices is the way it sips battery juice. Lenovo quotes up to 28 hours in battery life with continuous usage. If you keep it on standby, it is ready to get going for days.
Source: Lenovo
For security, the device comes with a 5-megapixel webcam with Infrared camera (optional) for Windows Hello facial recognition. You can make it work like your smartphone. Yes, you can use the webcam for video calls as well, quite obviously.
Because the requirements of housing an SoC like the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 Compute platform is so minimal, Lenovo could squeeze everything down on the ThinkPad X13s. It is thinner, and lighter than most professional grade laptops thanks to the SoC. But that is not just the contributing factor to the ThinkPad X13s’ thinness and lightness. Before we forget, Lenovo’s ThinkPads must be built like tanks too.
To keep build quality high but super lightweight and thin is a challenge. There is also the demand of making things more sustainable. Lenovo achieved those on the ThinkPad X13s using 90% recycled magnesium for its chassis. Inside, 97% of the plastics on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) cover and battery tray is made from PCC (Precipitate Calcium Carbonate) plastics. PCC plastics, in our research, is a type of plastic made using more sustainable materials. Calcium Carbonate is an artificial powder type filler used in plastic manufacturing to replace crude oil as a material to manufacture plastic parts. It is cheaper, and a lot more sustainable.
To ensure that the device gets to you in one piece are carton boxes and bumpers that are also recyclable. Even the production method is designed to keep energy consumption as low as possible. They used low-temperature solder methods that reduces carbon emissions by up to 35% over regular solders.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13s will be available in select markets on the 22nd of May 2022 onward. Like most ThinkPad devices, there are no other colour option safe for black. It will set you back EU€ 1,399 onward (MYR 6,508*), which is still quite premium in our eyes. There are no mentions on the local (Malaysia) availability and official pricing for the laptop for now. For more information on the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, you can visit their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of EU€ 1 = MYR 4.65 as of 03/03/2022 on xe.com
Mobile World Congress (MWC) is back for 2022 season, and we are glad. It is a sign that things are becoming normal again. But most of all, we are excited to see what all its participants have in store for us.
While HUAWEI and Samsung participated and jumped the gun in launching their new laptop and tablet devices, it is MWC. Mobile is in its name; we want something more smartphones. We got that with POCO and their new C4 Pro 5G.
The POCO X4 Pro is an entry-level device, but you get plenty of flagship features on it at a fraction of the cost.
Source: POCO
You are met with an expansive 6.67-inch AMOLED DotDisplay screen that has a small punch hole at the middle of the top of the panel for a selfie camera. The 6.67-inch display is a nice 120Hz refresh rate display for a nice and smooth user experience (UX). It also features 360Hz touch sampling rate for a near instant and snappy feel of the MIUI 13 interface. The Full HD+ AMOLED display is a first for a POCO X series device.
Standing out at the back of the device is a 108-Megapixel sensor for super high-resolution and detailed photos. There is also an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 2-Megapixel macro camera supporting the main camera and adding more variety to your gallery, or Instagram spread. Out front, in the punch hole is a16-Megapixel camera for clear and clean selfies.
Keeping everything going as they should, is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 System on a Chip (SoC). The 6nm SoC is 5G capable; hence, the 5G moniker, and is one of Qualcomm’s latest chips to roll off the line. It comes with two ARM Cortex-A78 high-performance cores that clocks out at 2.2Ghz and supported by six other efficiency cores.
The powerful SoC is supported by 8GB of RAM, which is ample these days. If you need more, the device can take 3GB out of its 256GB built-in storage as temporary makeshift RAM on top of the 8GB RAM. It works great if you tend to open 100 apps (over-exaggeration) and leaves all of them open.
To ensure that it will keep you connected and going all day is a 5,000mAh battery that is supposed to offer 15 hours of video playback. When it starts running low and you can find a wall port, it charges at up to 67W speeds and can be fully charged from an empty battery in just 41 minutes.
Price and Availability
The POCO X4 Pro was just launched in MWC 2022 very recently. It can be yours very soon though. The X4 Pro will arrive in Malaysian shores by the 3rd of March 2022 onward exclusively on Shopee. It comes in two variants, a 6GB + 128GB variant and an 8GB + 256GB variant. They are priced at MYR 1,199 and MYR 1,499 respectively. If you get them on their launch date – you are eligible for an Early Bird discount that brings the prices down to MYR 1,099 and MYR 1,249 respectively. More information on the POCO X4 Pro can be found on their website.
The smartphone market’s mid-range segment has been growing rapidly. Within the past year, we’ve seen more than 50 devices in the segment from big names alone. However, with many choosing to iterate rapidly with minimal updates, we’re looking at a segment that is quickly becoming overly saturated with choice but not much substance.
OPPO is one of the biggest contributors to the mid-range. However, it’s been hit and miss when it comes to their devices. In fact, just a few months ago, we reviewed the A74. Now, we’re looking at another mid-range offering from OPPO – the A95. Is OPPO hitting the correct notes when it comes to the OPPO A95? Is it their must-have mid-range hero? We’re looking to answer those questions in our in-depth review.
Design
The design on the OPPO A95 is – for lack of any other term – uninspired. The design is similar, if not the same, as all the mid-range smartphones we’ve seen from OPPO this year. To be honest, OPPO isn’t the only one guilty of being uninventive and drab in their midrange lineup. It wouldn’t be so far-fetched to say that if the OPPO A95 was released a little bit earlier in the year, it would have made a little more of an impression when it comes to design.
Aside from the overarching lack of inspiration, the OPPO A95 does come with a design that does look nice. It’s also available in a striking “Glowing Rainbow Silver”. The iridescent colour is one that pops and changes colour depending on the lighting and angle you look at the phone. You can see the difference in our hands-on video. It’s also one of the only highlights when it comes to the design of the phone.
Barring that, the phone comes with a camera hump that we’ve come to expect from nearly every smartphone this year. The large, black rectangular hump is the only design accent on the back of the phone; without it, the smartphone has a plain, uninteresting back. The metal frame also outlines the phone’s silhouette.
However, we applaud OPPO for sticking to a more ergonomic design. The back of the OPPO A95 tapers into its metallic bezel making it easier to use in one hand. The slight taper makes all the difference when it comes to holding the phone and even wrestling it from a tight pocket. But that’s about it when it comes to the design of the midranger.
Hardware
OPPO is trying to supercharge the A95 when it comes to hardware. They seem to be focusing on raw power. The total package may seem very basic and uninteresting, however, with OPPO’s RAM expansion, it can take on some of the better specc’d mid-range smartphones out there. Of course, as always, the main focus when it comes to hardware for OPPO is the smartphone’s camera. It’s no surprise that OPPO has kitted the A95 with high-resolution sensors.
The OPPO A95 comes with ColorOS 11.1 – one of the latest and greatest from OPPO. It’s not running on Android 12. However, with OPPO’s recent commitment to Android updates, we won’t be surprised if it gets the update in the coming weeks.
That said, the interface brings what OPPO has become known for – customizability and self-expression. While the Android 12 does take self-expression and customisability to a whole new level, OPPO’s ColorOS has a level of customizability that made OPPO devices different from the get-go. OPPO has cultivated a community of developers and users that have thrived with its customizability ecosystem. There are few other companies that allow the level of customizability or the variety that comes with ColorOS.
Like OPPO flagships, the OPPO A95 comes with a highly customizable interface – everything from icons to fonts can be customised natively. The theming ecosystem gives a plethora of options. If you can find one that is just right for you, you can even mix and match to get the style you really want.
Navigation on the A95 is also seamless. Users can choose between gesture navigation or the traditional three buttons. This allows you to choose the style you’re most comfortable with. The same goes for choosing between having an app drawer or just having multiple home screens. OPPO has also baked in options for scaling icons and font size that we don’t see in many other manufactures. Each OPPO device can have a totally different experience thanks to this.
Overall, the tweaks that come with ColorOS atop Android allow you to have the experience you want when it comes to your smartphone. OPPO’s features have been thoughtfully updated to ensure it doesn’t take away from the overall experience. In fact, it’s one of the most fluid interfaces we’ve had the chance of reviewing to date.
Performance
As mentioned in the hardware section, the OPPO A95 comes with a sharp focus on getting the most out of the hardware it has. While it’s not the greatest and latest from chip manufacturers, OPPO’s optimisations have allowed the smartphone to contend with some of the best performers out there. However, the smartphone isn’t without its flaws – particularly when it comes to a few software hiccups which can be addressed with an update. Hardware performance is – of course – limited to the hardware design but OPPO is inching towards eking every drop of performance from the hardware it has with its software.
Multitasking & Productivity
Multitasking has become a must for any “smart” device out there. We expect to be able to use more than 1 app and get more things done in a shorter amount of time. That said, the OPPO A95 tries to be a multitasking king but is let down by software issues and even limitations in RAM.
During our review period, we were able to use apps like Google Keep, Gmail, Spark Email and Microsoft Office 365 in tandem with each other. Getting simple tasks like word processing, emails and even excel sheets done on the A95 was snappy and seamless.
However, the phone seemed to struggle with more complex apps like video and photo editors. While it didn’t come to a halt, the phone did slow down – using these apps in split-screen was a task in itself as it would bog the A95 down. Then again, we don’t usually do this when we’re editing. This could have been due to the limitations on the RAM, but we expected a little bit more from the RAM expansion that OPPO has been touting. Some native apps also had issues with multitasking.
Aside from the performance issues – which we are certain OPPO can address in an update – the OPPO A95 is packed with features that allow it to multitask with ease. OPPO has simplified a lot of the multitasking in ColorOS. You can drag notifications to get a PIP window for you to respond to messages or urgent emails. A simple swipe and hold up brings up the multitasking view or swipe and hold back to jump to the previous app. The latter needs to be activated in the settings manually.
Call Quality & Connectivity
The OPPO A95 doesn’t’ come with 5G connectivity. But to be honest, you won’t be needing or using 5G anytime soon – in the Malaysian context at least. While it would have added an additional layer of futureproofing, it’s not a game-changer or deal-breaker.
The smartphone does very well when it comes to connectivity. Speeds on 4G LTE were pretty fast. In fact, we were getting anywhere between 2 to 4 Mbps download speeds. The A95 even outclasses some of the older flagships like the Galaxy Note10+ when it came to 4G reception. In certain areas where the former had 3 bars of connectivity, the A95 has 4 to 5 bars. This was a welcomed surprise as we’ve rarely seen network performance like this from mid-range smartphones.
When it comes to call quality, the smartphone didn’t have much to make up for either. Most of the time, people on the other side of the call could hear me loud and clear. However, when it came to slightly more noisy areas, the microphone struggled with noise suppression and even voice pick up. It could have been a little irritating if the call was urgent. Aside from that, the audio on the earpiece was consistent and clear. It could be a little tinny but nothing jarring. People on the other end could hear us well – when pick up wasn’t an issue.
Gaming
Gaming on the A95 was pretty enjoyable. It’s also one of the things that baffled me when it came to performance. The A95 was better able to handle heavy games like Genshin Impact and Shadow Fight than it could with multitasking. We’ll just have to chalk this up to OPPO’s gaming optimisations in Game mode.
That said, the smartphone was able to handle pretty long bouts of gaming. I was easily gaming on games like Genshin Impact and Shadow Fight for an hour. While the games weren’t setting on maximum settings, the graphics were good enough not to take away from the gaming experience. Of course, the audio was pretty solid too for a mid-range smartphone. Visuals were relatively crisp with not too many bouts of lag and screen tearing during gameplay. The only times when there was slight screen tearing or lag was in more graphically intense situations. The phone was also notably warmer during these instances and during prolonged sessions.
Battery Life
If there’s one thing we can rely on when it comes to OPPO, it’s battery life. Their track record of squeezing every ounce of battery life from their devices has been commendable so far. It’s no different when it comes to the A95. The smartphone was able to last about 7 hours on a single charge when used intensively and more than 10 hours when used normally. In fact, I went about a day (~20 hours) on a single charge when it was used only for texting and calls with light Sudoku in between.
Display
The OPPO A95 comes with an AMOLED display and it’s all the better for it. The display is vibrant and has pretty good colour accuracy depending on the mode that you set it on. For most of our review period, we had the display calibration set on Vivid.
In vivid mode, reds and yellows were more brilliant. The colour reproduction seemed a little more pleasant and realistic on this mode. On Gentle mode, the colours were less saturated and felt a little washed out. That said, it was a little more realistic as well. In either mode, the display had deep blacks which we’ve come to expect on an OLED panel.
That said, the display was pretty good when it came to watching videos. The colour of the videos was vibrant and the screen size was immersive. Watching an episode of Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) on the go was enjoyable. The only nitpick that we have with experience is the speakers would tear when there were explosions. However, this was easily remedied with a pair of Bluetooth earphones.
Cameras
Being an OPPO smartphone, it comes as no surprise that the main focus of the smartphone is its camera. The OPPO A95 comes with a 48-megapixel main sensor complemented with a 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel depth sensor. The combination of the three sensors allows the smartphone to have enough flexibility when it comes to shooting modes.
Unlike the A74 we reviewed previously, the OPPO A95 cameras perform better. The resulting photos seem to be better in both resolution and detail. The main sensor produced pretty commendable photos when in a well-lit situation. The resulting photos had detail and remained relatively clear even when zoomed in. However, in low light situations, the camera struggled to perform. Night mode helped with getting more detail but there is only so much that can be done when it comes to software. The front camera was more of the same. The camera performed relatively well for its class. Selfies in bright situations were impeccable. However, low light selfies struggled with details and were grainy.
That said, the A95 comes with some of OPPO’s better AI camera features including their Portrait mode. The smartphone has nearly the full complement of AI features that we see in OPPO flagships and that’s the main boon of the smartphone. With the AI features, we were able to get some pretty decent photos, some were even Instagram worthy without the need to edit.
Nevertheless, OPPO does need to improve the implementation of its hallmarks when it comes to its mid-range and entry-level smartphones. There seems to be a gap between the photos flagships like the Find X3 Pro are able to produce versus the photos from phones the A95. With the focus of competitors turning to the mid-range the company will need to push harder to differentiate its offerings further and their camera technology has always been a step ahead of the game.
OPPO’s Best Offering for Mid-range with a Room for Improvement
OPPO’s entry-level and mid-range smartphones continue to be hit or miss with the OPPO A95 and that’s a problem in our books. The company has been able to differentiate itself with camera technology and approaches that were fresh and exciting in the past. However, while that may be the case for its flagships, their midrange is still starved for that X-factor that makes it a must buy.
The OPPO A95 is by no means a bad smartphone. In fact, we wouldn’t hesitate to say it’s one of the best mid-range smartphones out there but it suffers from being lost in the crowd. While it comes with top-notch performance, it also suffers from a lack of identity and drowns into the crowd. Unlike some of its competitors which have brought flagship features to a more affordable price range, the OPPO A95 iterates on a formula we’ve seen before. It has all the makings of a genuinely great mid-range offering which is held back by the lack of software features that make it an immediate go-to.
The smartphone is a step in the right direction when it comes to performance. Being able to handle multitasking and even some heavy gaming without choking is impressive. However, we know OPPO is more capable when it comes to cameras. They’ve proven it time and time again with their flagships and while we would like to say this is the one, OPPO needs to look at how they can bolster their mid-range and entry offerings with the same.
OPPO’s Reno series seems to spawn more and more iterations. Barely six months after the release of the OPPO Reno 6 series, the company has officially unveiled the OPPO Reno 7 series in mainland China. The new version of the Reno smartphones continues to inherit the line’s focus on photography and remains firmly in the mid-range territory.
The new OPPO Reno 7 series comes with an all-new design that ditches curves in favour of a more blocky design. However, the first thing you will notice isn’t the overall design, but the camera module which has been totally redesigned. The new Reno 7 series has three entries (for now): the Reno 7 5G, the Reno 7 Pro 5G and the Reno 7 SE 5G. Yep – that’s right – the whole Reno series now comes with 5G connectivity.
Reno7 Pro 5G
The other big change that OPPO has made is the notification LED which is now surrounding the camera on the Reno 7 Pro 5G. If you’ve been an Android user since the beginning, you’d be familiar with the notification LED. This has in recent years become smaller and smaller and even disappeared on some devices. However, with the Reno 7 Pro, the light is now making a unique comeback around the camera module of the smartphone.
The Reno 7 Pro comes with a Mediatek Dimensity 1200-Max with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM paired with 256GB of internal storage. It has a 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with HDR10+ and Gorilla Glass 5. The display also has a 90Hz refresh rate.
When it comes to the camera, the Reno 7 Pro 5G comes with a triple camera module. The main sensor on the module is a 50-megapixel Sony IMX 766 with an f/1.6 aperture. This is complemented by an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 2-megapixel macro sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The selfie camera is a 32-megapixel Sony IMX709 sensor with an f/2.4 aperture.
The 4,500 mAh battery powering the smartphone is also capable of 65W fast charging. It also has an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Reno7 5G
The Reno7 5G will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G. This is complemented by 8GB or 12GB of RAM with up to 256GB of internal storage. It will have a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate as well Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
On the camera front, the main triple sensor setup replaces the 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 with a 64-megapixel sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. It still retains the same macro and ultrawide sensor. On the front, is the same 32-megapixel Sony IMX709 sensor. The Reno 7 5G will be powered by a 4,500mAh battery but will only support 60W fast charging.
Reno7 SE 5G
The Reno7 SE, on the other hand, will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 paired with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. It also has the same 6.43-inch display as the Reno 7.
On the camera front, however, the Reno 7 comes with a triple camera module with the 48-megapixel Sony IMX581 sensor as the main sensor. This is complemented with a 2-megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel portrait sensor. On the front is a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471.
The SE is powered by a 4,500mAh battery with support 33W fast charging.
Pricing & availability
The series will be running Android 12 based ColorOS12. All variants will be available in Morning Gold, Midnight Black and Star Rain Wish (Blue).
The Reno 7 Pro will be available for CN¥3,699 (MYR2,450.41) for the 8GB + 128GB version and CN¥3,999 (MYR2,649.15) for the 12GB + 256GB version.
The Reno 7 will be available in three variants. The 8GB + 128GB version will cost CN¥2,699 (MYR1,787.88), the 8GB + 256GB version will cost CN¥2,999 (MYR1,986.61) while the 12GB + 256GB version will cost CN¥3,299 (MYR2,185.34).
The Reno 7 SE will be available in 8GB +128GB and 8GB+256GB versions. The former will cost CN¥ 2,199 (MYR1,456.67) while the latter will be priced at CN¥ 2,399 (MYR1,589.39).
Sony recently announced its new Xperia Pro-I. A flagship that reaffirms the company’s commitment to delivering cutting edge imaging technologies on a smartphone. The Xperia Pro-I is arguably one of the company’s most well defined and boisterous offerings to date which bring together smartphones and Alpha imaging technology.
It comes with a large Type-1.0 Exmor RS image sensor – the same sensor that you get with the Sony RX100 VII. The sensor is complemented with a dedicated Bionz X Image processor. In addition, it also comes with ZEISS lenses with the Tessar T* lens for the best image quality. The 20.2-megapixel sensor brings Sony’s cutting edge imaging into your hands complete with eye-tracking autofocus.
The smartphone comes with a Snapdragon 888 octa-core processor with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. It also supports up to an additional 1TB of storage with a microSD card.
Well, with all the specifications and camera technology out of the way – it’s time to get down to business! The smartphone is available for pre-order in Malaysia! If you’ve been itching for a phone that’s a camera first, you can get the Sony Xperia Pro-I for MYR7,199.
Source: Sony Malaysia Online Store
However, you don’t have to just order the smartphone, instead, you can create your complete creator’s kit with the Complete Creator’s Bundle which adds on the Vlog monitor and the stereo lavalier microphone and shooting grip for MYR8,028 – an MYR839 discount off the regular price of MYR8,867. It also comes with a 256GB microSD card, a screen protector and a casing.
Source: Sony Malaysia Online Store
If that’s a little too pricey, Sony is also offering the Xperia Pro-I in a bundle with the Vlog Monitor which costs MYR8,239. For the pre-order, you can get an MYR519 discount for the bundle.
The preorder offers are available from Sony’s online store starting 15 November 2021 until 15 December 2021.
The #OPPO is set to take center stage with its true midrange flagship the #OPPOA95. We’re taking a first look at the #Qualcomm #Snapdragon662 touting smartphone! It comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It’s got a formidable AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution. The smartphone also comes equipped with a triple camera array with a 64-megapixel main sensor.
It will be available for pre-order really soon and you’ll be entitled to a whole bunch of freebies and even get an Enco Buds for MYR1! More details coming with the release of the smartphone!
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The ASUS ROG Phone 5s was launched in Taiwan just last month. Technically the device only became available in Taiwan very late last month on the 30th of September 2021. Then again, the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate just landed in Malaysia not that long ago too.
Still, while the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate remains fresh, ASUS decided its time to launch their latest most powerful ASUS ROG Phone to date in Malaysia. If you have forgotten about the ASUS ROG Phone 5s, you get Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 888+ platform. Yes, it will be marginally more powerful than the ASUS ROG Phone 5 series.
Source: ASUS Malaysia
Source: ASUS Malaysia
Source: ASUS Malaysia
Source: ASUS Malaysia
Other than the System on a Chip platform that differs from the ROG Phone 5s and ROG Phone 5, there is not much else that separates the two devices. They virtually look the same, and you might think that they might be the same devices put side-by-side. The ROG Phone 5s also comes one regular variant, and one Pro variant, very much like the older ROG Phone 5. There is no Ultimate variant for this though.
You can regard the 5s Pro as the replacement to the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate though. The Pro variant comes with an overkill 18GB of RAM space and 512GB of storage. That is alongside the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+. You also get the little customizable ROG Vision OLED display at the back of the device with the ASUS ROG Phone 5s Pro.
Variants
Retail price
Availability
Warranty
Remark
Colour
SD888+/8GB Ram/128GB Storage
RM2,999
Oct-21
1 Year
Not included: AeroActive cooler
Phantom Black & Storm White
SD888+/16GB Ram/256GB Storage
RM3,799
Oct-21
1 Year
Not included: AeroActive cooler
Phantom Black & Storm White
Pro SD888+/18GB Ram/512GB Storage
RM4,999
Oct-21
1 Year
Included: AeroActive cooler ROG Vision: Coloured
Phantom Black
Accessories
Price
Availability
Warranty
ROG Kunai 3 Gamepad (for ROG Phone 5)
RM499
Oct-21
3 Months
LIGHTING ARMOR CASE (ROG5)
RM199
Oct-21
3 Months
AeroActive Cooler 5
RM149
Oct-21
1 Year
ROG Clip
RM149
Oct-21
3 Months
ROG Phone 5 Screen Protector
RM79
Oct-21
nil
ROG KUNAI 3 BUMPER
RM69
Oct-21
3 Months
ROG 1.8M USB-C TO C CABLE
RM59
Oct-21
6 Months
The ROG Phone 5s series will be available in Malaysia from the 21st of October 2021 onward. The device will be available in two colours – Phantom Black and Storm White. The top-of-the-line Pro variant will be available only in one colour option though, the Phantom Black. You also only get the AeroActive cooler bundled with the Pro variant. The regular device starts at MYR 2,999 (8GB + 128GB). There is also a second option (16GB + 256GB) that retails at MYR 3,799. The range-topping Pro variant meanwhile will be sold for MYR 4,999. For more information on the ASUS ROG Phone 5s and its Pro variant, you can visit their website. Or, you can pre-order your ASUS ROG Phone 5s or ROG Phone 5s Pro now.
Audio has gone through a mobile renaissance in the past few years. The number of companies developing technology to enable lossless, audiophile-quality sound has drastically increased. Just this year, services like Apple Music, Spotify and TIDAL have started offering spatial and lossless music on their services. Now, Qualcomm is looking to complete the experience with high fidelity, lossless sound over Bluetooth with their new aptX Lossless. This new Lossless standard will come built-in to the aptX Adaptive standard.
Source: Qualcomm
Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless come as part of their Snapdragon Sound Technology which looks to up the ante when it comes to sound on mobile devices. The new standard will allow users to experience lossless CD-quality sound. Qualcomm claims that the new technology in the aptX Adaptive standard will produce high quality, lossless audio which will be mathematically bit-for-bit exact.
Qualcomm isn’t just revealing another standard with aptX Lossless, the technology behind it will also be ensuring better connectivity while streaming lossless audio. AptX Adaptive will work in tandem with Qualcomm Bluetooth High Speed Link technology to deliver sustainable bitrates to support lossless audio. Using these technologies simultaneously, Qualcomm is able to deliver data rates beyond 1Mbps yet seamlessly scale down to 140kbps in more congested RF environments. This helps minimize any dropouts or glitches for a more reliable listening experience.
While the technology sounds promising, we will only be seeing aptX Lossless capable devices become commercially available in 2022. It may still be a little bit before we see the aptX Lossless standard become ubiquitous. That said, we’re looking at a growing demand for lossless audio among consumers with technologies like Spatial sound and 360 Audio becoming more mainstream.
